Enhancing situational awareness, surveillance, detection, risk assessment and response activities using a mapping and visualization tool

archived

The purpose of this FOA is to enhance situational awareness, global context, surveillance, detection, risk assessment, and response activities through the use of sophisticated mapping and visualization tools to reduce the importation, exportation, and spread of infectious diseases. Specifically, the purpose of the visualization and mapping tools will be to do the following: Help predict health threats by monitoring multiple data sources, including outbreaks, emerging diseases, events of public health significance, media reports, and/or other sources. Provide new insights about health risks by evaluating conditions influencing a public health event by layering information such as disease vectors, travel and migration patterns, environmental conditions, animal and human populations, and any changes from historical data in the area where a disease has been identified. Provide information that can be used for public health responses at entry points to the U.S. by evaluating transportation networks from an event source into the United States, including flight schedules, flight capacity, final passenger destinations, and other travel modalities. Map risk areas or areas where interventions should be targeted by visualizing distribution of foreign-born populations and performing demographic analysis (English proficiency, education level, etc.). Determine the best populations, locations, and timing for public health interventions through analysis of data layers and visualization. Build risk models and test public health hypotheses by layering, mapping, and visualizing information in novel ways.

High